While snow and ice has blanketed much of Europe and the U.S. Midwest, California has been deluged by rainfall that is approaching records for the month of December. News media reported more than 5 inches of rain over much of Los Angeles since the storms began on December 16, with some areas in the nearby mountains reaching 13 inches. The average for the month in the city is typically around 2 inches.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=48082&src=eoa-iotd